In your hands is another packed issue of Sword and Shield. We continue to hope that you find the writing informative and instructive.

You will notice a guest editorial that takes up the important question of whether we are instruments in God’s hands or parties with the living God in the covenant of grace. The Protestant Reformed ministers are busy developing their doctrine of the mutuality of the covenant in which man by grace becomes a party with the living God. It is a conditional and bilateral covenant in which God and man together fulfill the promise of the covenant.

Reverend Pascual continues his enlightening series on what happened in the Philippine churches. A lot of shenanigans, for one. The Reformed Protestant denomination was dealing with a huckster, and the denomination was his mark, as the Protestant Reformed denomination had been his mark prior to the formation of the Reformed Protestant Churches. The Reformed Protestant readership should have a vital interest in these articles. They are the first bit of real information written by a former member of the Protestant Reformed Churches in the Philippines who was involved in the events. We hope his articles contribute to the decision of the Reformed Protestant members regarding a possible sister-church relationship with First Orthodox Reformed Protestant Church. A sister-church relationship must be organic and thus arise out of the churches and not be imposed on the churches after closed-door meetings of the leaders.

The Running Footmen contribution this month comes from Aaron Cleveland. He writes on the much hated but crucial doctrine of the antithesis. We love the doctrine of the covenant of grace; and without the truth of the antithesis, there can be no true covenant doctrine.

For the rest, you know the cast of characters, and they continue to produce for our magazine and for your edification sound Reformed material to refresh and expand the soul.